Developing a successful chromatographic separation usually requires extensive method development. Such method development often involves the evaluation and optimization of numerous variables. These variables may include the choice of chromatographic system, e.g., carbon dioxide based chromatography, SFC, HPLC, GC, the choice of mobile phase, the choice of column chemistry and column dimensions, the choice of detector, etc. Once a successful chromatographic separation has been developed it will invariably need to be transferred and performed on different chromatographic systems. For example, an analytical scale SFC separation may need to be transferred and performed on a preparative scale SFC system.
For liquid chromatography, the theory and understanding for transferring methods between different system or column configurations is generally well understood. Guidelines for transferring LC methods are straightforward. Method transfers under LC conditions typically do not need additional optimization. In SFC and/or carbon dioxide based chromatography, however, there is currently no such apparatus or methodology in place to facilitate method transfer. Chromatographic separations using carbon dioxide as a mobile phase that are transferred from one chromatographic system to another chromatographic system typically need to be re-developed to achieve the same successful separation as achieved on the original chromatographic system. Re-development is time-consuming, expensive and wasteful.